San Francisco's public transit system is getting a bit of an upgrade as the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (MUNI) has teamed up with technology company, CISCO, for The Connected Bus—a public transportation bus that is a little more desirable than the traditional buses used in public transit systems. The bus is a 95-percent emissions-free hybrid, if that wasn't obvious from the green and worldly motifs slapped on the side, but the other big seller is the included Wi-Fi and digital screens for each passenger. San Francisco is planning on implementing 800 of these buses into its transit system in the near future.
One goal of The Connected Bus is to show that public transportation isn't just for the poor, as the stereotypes often conclude. Including Wi-Fi and other gadgets provides the bus riders with a more desirable experience. Included on each individual screen on The Connected Bus is information like bus schedules, routes, times, advertising and even a "green meter," which is a cheesy schtick to show the environmental impact from the bus at any given time.
It's a pretty smart idea by MUNI and CISCO. We'd be more likely to take a bus chock full of gadgets, what about you? [The Connected Bus via TH]